The Top AI Influencers You Need to Follow in the World of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world around us in innumerable ways. As we progress further into the AI revolution, it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest advancements and insights. To help you navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, we’ve compiled a list of the top 50 AI influencers, broken down by their affiliated companies. We’ve provided a brief overview of each company’s work in AI and highlighted the contributions each individual is making to the field.
Help Improve This Post
As we all know, the world of AI is constantly changing and evolving, so this post will be a living document that we plan to update as time goes on. That’s why I also want to hear from you! If you think there’s someone incredibly important that we’ve missed, be sure to leave a comment below. So, without further ado, let’s explore the must-follow people in the world of AI!
OpenAI
OpenAI is a leading research lab in the field of artificial intelligence, dedicated to developing and promoting friendly AI that benefits all of humanity. Their groundbreaking work includes the creation of the GPT series, which has continued to push the boundaries of natural language processing.
Sam Altman: As OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman is at the forefront of AI innovation and consistently shares valuable insights about the future of artificial intelligence.
Ilya Sutskever: OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, Ilya Sutskever, is a key figure in the development of state-of-the-art AI models and has been instrumental in advancing AI research.
Greg Brockman: Serving as OpenAI’s CTO, Greg Brockman focuses on the infrastructure that powers AI systems and is an advocate for responsible AI development.
Google AI
Google AI is an influential player in the world of artificial intelligence, with a wide range of projects that include self-driving cars, cutting-edge AI algorithms, and TensorFlow, a popular open-source machine learning framework.
Sundar Pichai: Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, is a driving force behind the company’s AI innovations and is dedicated to creating technology that enhances human experiences.
Jeff Dean: As Google Senior Fellow and SVP of AI and Google Research, Jeff Dean is at the center of Google’s AI advancements, overseeing groundbreaking research and development.
Françoise Beaufays: Françoise Beaufays leads the charge in speech recognition and natural language understanding at Google AI, working to develop technology that can communicate effectively with humans.
DeepMind
DeepMind, a subsidiary of Google, is a world-renowned AI research lab known for its impressive achievements, such as the development of AlphaGo, the first AI to defeat a world champion Go player.
Demis Hassabis: Co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, Demis Hassabis is a trailblazer in the AI field, constantly pushing the limits of what artificial intelligence can achieve.
Shane Legg: As DeepMind’s Chief Scientist and co-founder, Shane Legg’s intellectual contributions have played a pivotal role in advancing AI research and technology.
Meta / Facebook
Meta (the parent company of Facebook) focuses on developing AI technology that understands and enhances human connections. They are constantly working on innovative projects, such as AI-driven content moderation and advanced language models.
Mark Zuckerberg: As Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is an advocate for AI technology and its potential to create more meaningful connections between people.
Yann LeCun: Facebook’s VP and Chief AI Scientist, Yann LeCun, is a pioneer in the field of AI and deep learning, with significant contributions to the development of neural networks.
Joelle Pineau: Joelle Pineau is the Head of Facebook AI Research,
where she oversees cutting-edge projects and collaborations aimed at advancing AI technology and its applications.
Microsoft
Microsoft is a major player in the AI domain, investing heavily in AI research and development across various applications, such as Azure AI, Bing, and Cortana.
Satya Nadella: As Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella has championed the integration of AI into the company’s core products and services, shaping the future of AI-enabled technology.
Eric Horvitz: Microsoft’s Chief Scientific Officer, Eric Horvitz, is a respected figure in the AI community, having made significant contributions to the field throughout his career.
IBM
IBM is a leading technology company with a rich history of AI innovation, most notably known for developing IBM Watson, a powerful AI system capable of understanding and processing natural language.
Arvind Krishna: IBM’s CEO, Arvind Krishna, is dedicated to advancing AI technology and its potential applications across various industries.
Dario Gil: As IBM’s SVP and Director of IBM Research, Dario Gil oversees the company’s research efforts in AI, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies.
Ruchir Puri: IBM’s Chief Scientist and IBM Fellow, Ruchir Puri, has played an instrumental role in the development of IBM Watson and continues to push the boundaries of AI innovation.
NVIDIA
NVIDIA is a technology company best known for its GPU technology, which is essential for deep learning and AI computation. They have been expanding their reach into AI software and research as well.
Jensen Huang: NVIDIA’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, is a key figure in the AI and GPU industry, driving the development of cutting-edge technologies that power AI systems.
Ian Buck: As NVIDIA’s Vice President of Accelerated Computing, Ian Buck oversees the development of GPU-accelerated computing platforms that are essential for AI research and applications.
Anima Anandkumar: Anima Anandkumar, NVIDIA’s Director of Machine Learning Research, is a prominent researcher in the AI community, contributing to advancements in AI algorithms and optimization techniques.
Baidu
Baidu, China’s leading internet company, is heavily invested in AI research and development, focusing on areas such as natural language processing, computer vision, and autonomous driving.
Robin Li: Baidu’s co-founder and CEO, Robin Li, has been instrumental in driving the company’s AI initiatives, positioning Baidu as a major player in the global AI landscape.
Haifeng Wang: As Baidu’s CTO, Haifeng Wang oversees the company’s AI research and development efforts, leading innovations in deep learning, big data, and AI platforms.
Yingwei Pan: A Senior Researcher at Baidu Research, Yingwei Pan focuses on computer vision and deep learning, contributing to significant advancements in AI-powered image and video analysis.
Podcasters
There are also several podcasters who regularly share valuable insights and engage in thought-provoking conversations about artificial intelligence.
Lex Fridman: Lex Fridman is an AI researcher at MIT and the host of the popular podcast “The Lex Fridman Podcast.” His podcast features interviews with world-renowned experts, researchers, and thought leaders from various fields, including AI, deep learning, robotics, and more. Through these conversations, Lex explores a wide range of topics related to AI and its implications for society, ethics, and human existence.
Nando de Freitas: Nando de Freitas is a prominent AI researcher and a professor at the University of Oxford. He co-hosts the podcast “The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Podcast,” which delves into a variety of AI-related topics, from the technical aspects of machine learning to the philosophical and ethical questions surrounding AI.
O’Reilly Data Show: Hosted by Ben Lorica, Chief Data Scientist at O’Reilly Media, the O’Reilly Data Show covers the latest trends, tools, and techniques in AI, machine learning, and data science. The podcast features interviews with industry leaders and experts, providing listeners with valuable insights into the fast-paced world of AI.
This Week in Machine Learning & AI (TWiML&AI): Hosted by Sam Charrington, TWiML&AI is a weekly podcast that covers the latest news, research, and developments in machine learning and AI. The podcast features in-depth interviews with AI researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders, discussing topics such as deep learning, reinforcement learning, and natural language processing.
Journalists
These journalists often report on the latest advancements, breakthroughs, and ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence. Here are some prominent AI journalists you might consider following:
Karen Hao: Karen Hao is the senior AI editor at MIT Technology Review, where she writes about AI, machine learning, and their impact on society. Her work often delves into the ethical implications of AI technology and the need for responsible AI development.
Cade Metz: Cade Metz is a technology correspondent for The New York Times, focusing on AI, robotics, and other emerging technologies. His work offers in-depth analysis and reporting on the latest AI advancements and their impact on various industries.
Will Knight: Will Knight is an AI journalist who has written for publications such as MIT Technology Review and Wired. His articles cover a wide range of AI-related topics, from machine learning breakthroughs to the challenges of integrating AI into our daily lives.
Dave Gershgorn: Dave Gershgorn is a technology reporter who has covered AI for publications like Quartz and OneZero. His work often explores the ethical concerns and potential consequences of AI, as well as its implications for privacy and data security.
